From The Backbench
Debate on ministries' budgets: Home Affairs
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Fabian Koh
MR CHRISTOPHER DE SOUZA (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC)
Fight fake news with legal tools
In the light of disinformation campaigns becoming more sophisticated, the authorities have to keep up with advancements in techniques of concealment and manipulation, said Mr de Souza.
He suggested "an armoury of legal tools" to combat foreign propagators of fake news and the effect of their actions.
He said it is up to Singapore to cope with, among other things, combating falsehoods and protecting race and religion from speech inciting violence.
He asked if the planned Science and Technology Agency will work to counter these threats specifically.
MR PNG ENG HUAT (Hougang)
Grant S'poreans' stepkids PR status
Singaporeans can get permanent residency for their foreign spouse but not their stepchildren.
Hence, these Singaporeans have to struggle with non-subsidised school fees, medical fees and more, said Mr Png.
In the light of Singapore's low birth rate here, he called for stepchildren to be allowed in to become part of the country.
He suggested giving them permanent resident (PR) status until they reach the age of 21, after which they can choose whether to be citizens.
MS RAHAYU MAHZAM (Jurong GRC)
Falsehoods can stoke religious divide
Citing her experience on the Select Committee on Deliberate Online Falsehoods last year, Ms Rahayu said online falsehoods can stoke communal and religious divide.
Inflammatory messages and hate speech can be spread on social media to cause tension among different communities. "These conversations are then carried into the real world and can affect the way we interact with one another," she said.
Ms Rahayu wants to know if there are plans to have laws or other forms of control to protect Singapore's religious harmony.
MR GAN THIAM POH(Ang Mo Kio GRC)
Don't liberalise drug use here
Mr Gan stressed the "undeniable" harm drug misuse can do to people's health.
Citing a growing trend of liberalising drug use in the West, including towards cannabis, he urged the Government to stop it from taking root in Singapore.
The abuse of such drugs may also lead people to explore other illicit drugs, added Mr Gan.
He asked how the Government is preventing illegal drugs from entering Singapore.
